A champion of the indigenization of Lethbridge College and advocate for Indigenous learners will be inducted to the University of Lethbridge Alumni Honour Society in October.
Shanda Webber, the college’s manager of Recruitment and Indigenous Services, is one of six inductees to be honoured at the Let There be Light Night Oct. 12, part of the U of L’s fall Convocation celebrations.
The award confirmed for Webber that “I’m in the right position, in the right place and the right time in my life.”
She recalls being moved to tears to learn of the award and reflecting on what’s grown out of the partnerships she’s made in the Indigenous community and beyond.
Webber graduated from the U of L in 2005 with a bachelor of arts, with great distinction. An anthropology major, she completed her honours thesis on What is “Indian” Anyways?, an in-depth examination of what it means to be an Indigenous person transitioning from reserve to urban life and dealing with issues of racism and discrimination. As a post-secondary student, she came to realize her own disconnection from her Indigenous culture. Her father is Ojibway who endured the effects and many hardships as a result of the Sixties Scoop where he was taken away from his family at a young age and removed from his culture and his traditions.
Webber grew up in the Crowsnest Pass with her parents and grandparents providing a loving but non-traditional Indigenous home. Through her work at the college and with community agencies, she has forged a deeply personal connection with the Blackfoot Confederacy in southern Alberta.
Webber plays an integral role in ensuring Lethbridge College is welcoming and appreciative of all cultures. Highlights of her work in recent years include the permanent raising of the Blackfoot Confederacy flag on campus nearly a year ago and the college receiving a Blackfoot name, Ohkotoki’aahkkoiyiiniimaan, which means Stone Pipe, last October. The name was given by Kainai Kaahsinnoonik (Grandparent) Peter Weasel Moccasin, who is among Indigenous Elders who regularly visit the college and its students.
Webber says as part of the award, the U of L made arrangements for her to meet with a professional photographer. What she thought would be a simple head-and-shoulders photo turned out to be a full photo shoot at the front of the college. When the photographer asked Webber to stare off into the distance, she found herself gazing directly at the Blackfoot Confederacy flag.
“Everything was in that moment,” she says. “I looked at the flag and reflected on all that we’ve done as a team.”
Webber joined Lethbridge College in 2006 as the Aboriginal liaison officer in Recruitment Services. She later moved into the position of Aboriginal academic advisor, a role she loved because she worked with students one-on-one. Her appreciation of all cultures led to a promotion to the position of intercultural services coordinator, supporting Indigenous and international students. She’s served as manager of Recruitment and Indigenous Services since July 2014.
Lethbridge College offers what it calls a Circle of Services to Indigenous students, and Webber says she feels her work on campus has walked that full circle.
“Our campus is welcoming. It offers a sense of belonging and so many supports to assist Indigenous and non-Indigenous students on their journey,” she says.
Whether she’s organizing one of the college’s Indigenous celebrations, creating a display of Indigenous dance regalia or planning a permanent display of a stone pipe, reflecting the college’s Blackfoot name, she hopes her efforts and this award “will inspire everyone, but especially Indigenous students, female students and my fellow colleagues.”
Growing up, Webber says she dreamed of being a teacher. That dream lives on through the passion she has for her career — teaching others what’s possible in post-secondary.
She credits her family and the amazing support network of her past professors, colleagues and community partners for making her success possible. She and her husband Matt have a 2½ year old son, Ari.
Webber’s previous honours include the 2008 Alberta Aboriginal Youth Achievement Award from the Metis Nation of Alberta; a 2009 Aboriginal Council of Lethbridge Youth Leadership Award (Under 30); and Lethbridge College Above and Beyond Awards in 2010 and 2011. Lethbridge College was the bronze recipient of the College and Institutes Canada (CiCan) Indigenous Education Excellence Award in 2017.